The Alchemist

It may have been a daunting task for artistic director Dominic Knutton to bring Paul Coelho's international bestseller, 'The Alchemist', to the stage but the small Cornish Theatre Collective's performance brings the universal story to life with a talented five-strong cast. The tale follows young Spanish Shepard Santiago (Calra Perez) on his journey through North Africa, where he has an encounter with an alchemist (David Chittenden), towards the Egyptian Pyramids where he has been told he will find his treasure. The original score is played live, and the simple set is rich in desert colours and lacking in props but high in innovation, helping to convey the colourful bazaars of Tangiers and the Egyptian desert. Fans of the book will love it, and for everyone else it's an opportunity to see an exciting ensemble at work. [Julie Paterson]